The Playlist
by rin-ren-ran
Summary: A collection of one-shots.
1. Kitchen

This was meme suggested by a friend. It was a fun writing exercise. A few are basically canon scenes with pretty words. Each chapter is a one-shot inspired by, and written within the length of, a song from my playlist on shuffle. Feel free to listen to the songs as you read.

**Kitchen - Chris Hickey with Sally Dworsky**

Hatori looked up from his desk, thinking of his next visit to Akito. It was soon. Winter was on its way, and Akito would be more vulnerable than ever.

His eyes, the good one and the right, fell on the framed picture of _her_.

The picture of her smiling, of her happiness, didn't spark the same emotion in him that it did before. He no longer wanted to feel anything. He hadn't wanted to feel anything since that day. He didn't deserve to.

There was no need. Akito was the only one who needed him now.

Spring left that day. The warmth was gone.

So Hatori lets winter come, and does not care for the snow to melt.


	2. Ooh Child

**Ooh Child -The Five Stairsteps**

It was only a game of tag. That day was one of the rare days Yuki had been allowed to play with the other children.

But it was his fault. He wasn't fast enough. The girl had tripped and fell too quickly. There was no time to get away.

And in that touch, in a clumsy embrace, in that single moment, he transformed, and everything shattered.

"You're a monster."

Akito said those words, so it must be true. Yuki felt it in his bones, in his soul and whatever else was left of him from each lashing from each word that Akito spoke that ripped through his very essence.

Yuki was told that Hatori had been ordered to erase the memories of all those children. Akito had ordered it.

It was Akito saying, there, there. They're gone now, don't worry.

Yuki never saw those children again.

It was Akito saying, they won't ever have to remember seeing something so disgusting.

"You're not like them."

You'll never belong. They'll never accept you.

Yuki was told this, and he bowed his head.

He made no noise, but the back of his hands found his eyes.

And he was crying.

There was no noise, but Hatori knelt and gently placed his hand on Yuki's head.


	3. Bulletproof

**Bulletproof - La Roux**

The Sohma family were a troublesome bunch, Mayu thought. Not just her students, but also Hatori (her heart clenched), and Shigure (her nostrils flared).

Especially that Shigure.

She saw him enter the room with Honda during the parent-teacher interview, and she could have exploded right there and then at his obvious, deliberate and _aggravating _attempt to invade her life again within the next ten minutes.

To think that a girl like Honda would be associated with a man like him…

Mayu's left eye twitched.

She no longer cringed when she remembered him and the barely-existent relationship they had.

Shigure never kissed her. He never held her. He was just _with_ her.

But she still felt a fool. The only way she could salvage what was left of her pride was the fact that she had learned from it.

She would never be in a relationship simply because she was lonely.

So when Shigure sat himself down in front of her desk, wearing a sharp suit that brought out his handsome features, and a cocky smirk that Mayu knew too well, she smirked right back.


	4. The Point Sometimes

**The Point Sometimes - Gregory and the Hawk**

It was an honest stroke of chance that night that Kureno walked into the convenience store.

It was an honest curve of a smile that made Arisa fall for him.

With a lighter heart, and a brighter aura that Hana picked up but did not question, Arisa didn't even notice.

Until each swish of the doors at night would have her look over her shoulder, over the counter, at a person she hadn't been wishing for.

It had gotten tiring. And incredibly stupid. And painful, though not even Tohru could get her to admit that.

So she switched jobs. To during the day, to a busier place where the door opened every second and people came and went without anything special having to happen.

Then she saw him.

Without thinking, she ran, through the crowd, in her uniform, the apron and the black skirt, the ridiculous heels, and her hand reached out and grabbed the back of his shirt.

He was as surprised as she was, but she was smiling.

Then somehow, they were having lunch together.

Looking back at it now, she felt silly to have been thinking about their age difference over noodles. Nine years. Her thoughts had drifted to Tohru's parents. Eight years.

Looking back at it now, she felt silly to have thought his hand on her cheek, his lips still just above hers, one exhale, was him saying I love you.


	5. Blame Qui

**Blame-Qui - Gregory and the Hawk**

Yuki was his first love.

The one he had hated. The rat who had tricked the ox.

The one who had told him, that he wasn't a fool.

It wasn't hard for Hatsuharu to love him after that.

His delicate features attracted Haru, and he heard Yuki's gentle voice over the exasperated words of rejection. It was an endlessly amusing game Haru had started to play.

To confess to Yuki whenever he saw him.

But Haru knew Yuki wasn't as strong as he wanted to be. None of the zodiac were. Not while Akito still had his godly grip on their hearts.

So he had to ask, why was Yuki visiting him in the main house?

But Yuki didn't have to answer.

"I should just be happy. Yuki is back in the main house after so long, and just for me."

But Yuki did anyway.

"You weren't in school today. I thought you were sick. Never mind."

"Don't I look sick?"

"No. Not at all," Yuki glared at him.

But Yuki had already set his bag down, and Haru, his book.

He couldn't bring himself to tease Yuki then.

His beautiful face was wearing an expression Hatsuharu could only recognize as one in an unnerving mix of hopelessness and determination.

Yuki set himself down in his most graceful movement in front of Haru, who suddenly felt immensely awkward.

Yuki stared straight at him, eyes suddenly so bold, and Haru discovered the strength he needed but didn't have.


End file.
